CRAMA GIRBOIU | Bacanta | Barrique Merlot | 2016
merlot

We will be evaluating wines in no particular order on no particular schedule. Just stay tuned and you will never miss our reviews. If the wine is tasted more than once, the rating table will be updated so as to reflect all the new impressions and observations.

Today we are going to review another single-varietal merlot wine, but this time, one from Cotesti in the Vrancea region of Romania – Bacanta Barrique Merlot 2016 by Crama Gîrboiu. Merlot is usually regarded as the underdog to the highly priced cabernet sauvignon or cabernet franc varieties, but make no mistake, merlot wine is first class as it is more versatile and ripens earlier than both cabernet grapes, responds well to oak ageing and can be grown in both, cool climate and warm climate with the same success. Crama Gîrboiu is a family winery that was founded in 2005 by Constantin Gîrboiu. Situated in the Costesti D.O.C. in Vrancea, right between Moldova and Muntenia, thus taking advantage of both bordering climates. This particular wine has been aged for 12 months in new, french oak barriques and another 12 months in the bottle before the winemaker gave it the go to hit the market shelves. But enough theory, that said and without further ado, let’s take a look at the wine tasting results.
_________________________________________________________________________
Take a look at the tasting notes below and our detailed assessment of the wine:

//Visual
colour: medium-deep garnet color
clarity: hazy garnet shades on the rim

//Olfactory
intensity: rich & noble
fruit profile: red fruits | black fruits
__red fruits: sour cherry | cranberry | red plum | red currant | goji berry
__black fruits: black plum | blackberry | brumble
fruit character: ripe & overripe

//Flavor
non fruit: spice | oak | earth
__spice: red pepper | cloves
__oak: roasted oakwood | cherry tree wood | cherry tree sap | sweet tobacco
__earthy clay | loam
primary layer: fruit

//Palate
sweetness: dry
acidity: high
alcohol: high
tannin: medium+
__grip: ripe
balance: good
__dominant: alcohol
body: supple & round | medium+

//Taste
fruit profile: red fruits
fruit character: ripe & overripe
non fruit: spice & oak
finish: medium
aftertaste: appealingly-seedy

//Scoring
CRAMA GIRBOIU | Bacanta | Barrique Merlot | 2016
variety: merlot
country: Romania | Moldova
region: Vrancea | Cotesti
rating: 93.0

//Conclusion
maturity: in its prime | can age for another 2 or 3 years
verdict: great | a must try wine
_________________________________________________________________________
This is definitely a great wine of Romania and, with a total of 93.0 points scored, this wine is right there, among the best wines we’ve rated so far. Check our complete database on the wine rating page, where you can find all the wines that we have tasted and reviewed or go to the about us page and find out more about our exquisite rating system.

Verdict: this is a very round and voluptuous merlot wine, with a nuanced, fruity-expressive profile. The wine is right there, in its prime, therefore we would recommend to drink it now or within the next 2 to 3 years, in order to enjoy it at its finest, as we firmly believe that it is always better to drink a wine a year too soon than a day too late. On the nose the wine displays a very good varietal typicity, with a mixture of ripe and overripe red fruits in the foreground, followed by a seedy-oaky background and a very subtle, earthy-spicy layer in between. On the palate the wine delivers mouth-watering acidity, fine-grained tannins and just a touch of alcoholic warmth showing through on the mouthfeel, which all leads to an appealingly-seedy aftertaste. All in all, this is a very appealing, ripe and seedy-crisp merlot wine, with well preserved varietal characteristics, which makes it a perfect pairing partner for any soft-textured, mild meats, like for example Tournedos Rossini or a rib-eye steak with red wine sauce. Enjoy!

_________________________________________________________________________
© The WineStatistics ratings are based solely on our own knowledge of the world of wine and on our personal wine tastes, which may, or may not, differ from yours – the reader. Just remember that there are no absolutes of right and wrong in wine appreciation.